Transportation system.



A. M. BATES.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 21.1915.

1,186,465. Patented June 6,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. M. BATES.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 2. 1915.

Patented June 6, 1916.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

A. M. BATES.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.27.1915.

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Patented June 6, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3'.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADEIMER IMI.'IBAJI'ES'Ol CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG'NOR TO BATES `VALVE BAG' COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led October 27, 1915. Serial No. 58,252.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ADELMER M. BATES,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook anduState of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Transportation Systems, of'which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to aI transportation system wherein an overhead traveling pull is first operatively combined with aseries of pivotally supported trucks by Ameans of connecting hangers, and it consists among other things in certain improvements in the connecting'hanger or some of its parts intended to facilitate the operation and action of the conveyer.

It is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure v1 is a diagrammatic typical plan view. Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the two smallarrows. Fig. 3 1s a detail cross section. Fig. 4 is a detail plan,

and Figs. 5 and 6v a detail diagrammaticY view illustrating the action and operation of the device.

Like parts are indicated by the same letters in all the figures.

A, A. are the walls of an inclosure, B the floor.

C, C, are a series of hoppers associated with bag filling mechanism D not described or shown in detail.

E, E are supporting and projecting beams associated with the bag filling mechanism v and furnishing a proper support for a series of brackets F. Similar brackets F are elsewhere supported by projections G, G, Suitably mounted on the wall or adjacent thereto as maybe desired. v

All the parts so far described are merely incidental to the invention, and they may be formed andA shaped in any desired manner, or of course the bag filling devices could be dispensed with. The drawings, while more viously suggested, the illustration is taken froma cement plant, and the arrangement 1s such that the sacks to be lled with cement on one side of the room, are then carried by the conveyer to the other side and Patented June 6, 19.156,.A l

there they are wheeled and dumped into the cars.

M is a track supported o'n the bracket F so as to furnish a continuous runway for the hangers. Eachhangergconsistsof a bracket N with a wheel O supported therein, and adapted to run on the track.

P is a chain or rope provided at intervalswith a series of spools Q, and these spools are adapted to iit into notches R in they sprocket wheel S on the shaft T. There is one of these wheels at each corner, and there might be more if desired, -and the system can be set in motion by driving any one or more of said wheels, or any other manner desired. =We will assume that it is to be driven in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. l, 5 and 6.v The bracket N is secured in any desired manner to one of said spools, and to such spool is secured a connector U, and two adjacent connectors are connected together by the'ring V, and tothe lower extension W. The connectors U are commonly both of them offlexible material, but one, the rear one having reference to the line of travel, may be of rigid material as indicated at U1. The extension is preferably provided atits lower end with a relatively rigid section W1, and an eye W2 to engage thehook W3 on the lower middle rearward part of the truck X, which is pivotally supported on the wheels Y. Intermediate the two connectors U and U1 is a supplementary connector U2 of spring material vconnected at the top to a spool Q, intermediate the spools to which the connectors are attached, and at the other end to the ring V, and the spring isadjusted so that when the weight is removed from the extension W, the two connectors U, U1 are lifted fixed or thrown out of position as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6. Of course it will be understood that these various parts are not here intended to be illustrated as in a final or fixed form. The l' drawings are to be taken diagrammatically, and illustrative merely of the principle of operation, and no doubt great changes could `be made in the particular parts and the details and the form and structure of the several parts without departing from the spirit of invention.

les

The use and operation of my' invention are as follows: In a transportation system of this class various difficulties and objections are encountered, and various advantages are required. lt is desirable to shorten the distance between the rear end of the truck and the effective point of connection between the overhead pull and the hanger extension W. lt is however at the same time practically necessary to have the pull properor the endless rope well elevated. This lis in partto prevent any irregular motion of the truck. Inequalities of the licor and other inequalities incident to the operation of any such device tend more or less to give the trucks a lunging action in the line of travel, an oscil-y lating action laterally, and if they be well elevated at the rear end, a pivotal action about the supporting wheels. The trucks, however, should be supported as nearly as possible at the point of the balance so that the weight on the handles and the movement of the handles will be very slight when the operator enga-ges the truck with the hanger extension, and when he disengages 1t. The

l object is to put the least possible work on the operator and give him thegreatest possible freedom in disengaging and engaging the trucks. Inasmuch as the hangers are in motion, and the truck which is to be attached is at rest, it becomes practically nece to engage the hanger and the truck before the hanger has passed the rear end of the truck, or in other words, the hanger must be swung in the line of travel forward, attached to the truck, and must then be held in engagement until it shall have passed the end of the truck and proceeded far enough on its travel to bring the truck into proper traveling position. When the truck .is disengaged, that is, when the filled truck is disengaged, in actual practice the operator will desire at the samemoment to engage the previously taken but now empty' truck, and this involves the approximately simultaneous use of both hands. One truck is slightly ele-- vated and disengaged from a given hanger extension, and then the empty truck standing near by is brought into engagement with such extension whereupon the operator wheels the lled truck out of the line of travel, and the empty truck is drawn into the line of travel and proceeds on its path. The reverse of this operation is effected at the point where the filled trucks are attached. To carry out these several operations and produce the desired result, I have introduced a spring element in the hanger, which is in this case illustrated. by the device U2, and this spring element acts as a take-up to Hex or loosen the connection suiiiciently so that the operator can, by extending the spring element so much as may be required, connect the extension and the truck, and immediutely release the same, the spring action be extended and the load will be carried not by the spring 'but by the connectors "U, U. The two positions are somewhat clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. This gives a flexible connector eiiect to facilitate the engagement and disengagement of the trucks. The rigid portion of any desired length at theend of the extension, or the rigid extension enables the manipulation to be easily made by the operator. The two part connector which is formed by the two connectors U, U,.o`r U1, bring the eli'ective point of engagement between the truck and the pull low down or far below the plane of the traveling rope or chain. rlhe rigid connector still further fixes this point of connection, and minimizes the danger of irregular action.

` The idea of arrangement is such that thev laterally,-it being understood that the connectors which'form the two part connectors, are arranged 1n the same line of travel, and

moreor less extend the spring and hook the. ring into the hook on the filled truck, and byv reverse action will seize the empty truck, wheel it out of the line of travel and lill it. In actual practice 'there will be a series of persons doing this work along one line of the travel, and a corresponding series of persons transferring the illed bags by means of the trucks into the cars at another portion of the line of travel, and there will always be aA mixture of filled and unfilled trucks along the two working lines, though elsewhere there will be a line of filled trucks on the one hand, and of empty trucks on the other.

I claim:

1. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lowersupporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable Vyielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull.

2. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower .supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable yielding connector from the supported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising pull and theface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable con nector from the supported' end of the truck to the overhead pull', comprising means face, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable con-` nector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, said connector, having two separate points of engagement with the pull.

5. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull` said connector having two separate points of engagement with the pull and one point of engagement' with the truck.

6. A transportation system comprismg ,an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface7 a truck pivotally supported on said .surface at one end, and a detachable yieldingconnector from the unsupported end of the truck to theoverhead pull, said connector having two separate points of engagement with the pull.

7. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, said connector having two separate points of engagement with the pull and one point of engagement with the truck.

8. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull.

9. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, one of said connectors being rigid.

10. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull7 comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, and a yielding portion connected to the lower ends of the connectors and to the pull intermediate their upper ends.

11. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface; a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two 4connectors joined intermediate the truck and the*v overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, one of said connectors being rigid, and a yielding portion connected to the lower ends of the connectors and to the pull intermediate their upper ends.

12. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truckpivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull.

13. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at oneend and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, one of said connectors being rigid.

14. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, said connector provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

15. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally lsupported on said surface at one end, and a detachable yielding connector from the supported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising means whereby the effective line of pull is intermediate the Overhead pull and the truck, said connector provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

16. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable connector from the supported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising means whereby the effective line of pull is intermediate the overhead pull and the truck, said connector provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

17. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull., alower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to theoverhead pull, said connector having two separate points of engagement with the pull, and provided with a rigid portion` near the point of its engagement with the truck.

18. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truckpivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, said connector having two separate points of engagement with the pull and one point of engagementl with the truck, said connector provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

19. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotal'ly supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck tothe overhead pull, said connector having two separate points of engagement with the pull, and provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

20. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting .surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end, and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, said connector having two separate points of engagernent with the pull and one point of engagement with the truck, said connector provided with a rigid portion near thepoint of its engagement with the truck.

21. A transportation system. comprising an overhead pull, a llower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable con-v nector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck: and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead. pull, said connector provided with aL rigid portion near the point of its-engagement with the truck.

22. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, one of said connectors being rigid and provided with a aisance connectors and to the pull intermediate their upper ends, said connector provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck. A'

24. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull, comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead pull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, one of said connectors being rigid, and a yielding portion connected to the lower ends of the connectors and to the pull intermediate their upper ends, said connector provided with a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

25. A transportation system comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said` connector provided with a rigid portionl near the point of its engagement with `the truck. l

26. AA transportation system -comprising an overhead pull, a lower supporting surface, a truck pivotally supported on said surface at one end and a detachable yielding connector from the unsupported end of the truck to the overhead pull.7 comprising two connectors joined intermediate the truck and the overhead vpull and connected at separated points to the overhead pull, one of said connectors being rigid, said connector provided with -a rigid portion near the point of its engagement with the truck.

In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in the presence of two witne ses this 22d day of October 1915.

ADELMER M. BATES. 

